ABSTRACT
A major factor that undermined Adivasi rights was nation formation. The process of demarcating Hindu and Muslim homelands ignored the interests of small Adivasi communities, sacrificing their habitats right along the Indo-Bangladesh border. Adivasi groups like the Khasi, Garo, Hajong, Koch, Chakma and tea-tribes live in enclaves that remain misclassified. Although, partition of the country and displacement of Hindus and Muslims have often been highlighted, the displacement and dispossession of these Adivasi groups are not talked about at all. Even after independence and partition, a large number of Adivasi communities remain in ‘no-man’s land’, surrounded by hostile foreign power, denied their basic rights while waiting for the two countries to settle their uncertain future.
